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A British man, referred to only as “patient 268,” has become the latest individual to undergo cryonic preservation in hopes of a future reawakening. After his death in February, his body was cooled with dry ice and transported over 3,700 miles to the Cryonics Institute (CI) in Michigan, USA. Once there, it was slowly cooled over 25 hours to a temperature of –196°C and placed in a liquid nitrogen-filled cryostat for long-term storage.
Cryonics is the controversial practice of preserving a body at ultra-low temperatures after legal death, with the hope that future medical advances may one day allow revival and treatment of the condition that caused death. Founded in 1976, CI is one of the largest cryonics facilities in the world, with over 250 patients and even some pets stored at its sites.
Supporters of cryonics argue it's a rational gamble—similar to Pascal’s wager—with little to lose and everything to gain. They believe future technologies like artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and stem cell research could make revival possible. Critics, however, see the process as pseudoscience and ethically questionable, arguing it offers false hope and undermines the dignity of death.
Despite the scepticism, interest continues to grow. The UK now has the largest number of CI members outside the US, including people from all walks of life—students, chefs, professors, and pensioners—who have chosen to take their chances on science fiction becoming science fact.
